On this day in 1995, the dark ride attraction Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye opened in Disneyland. Based on the George Lucas films, park guests are taken in military vehicles through a lost temple with Indiana Jones. Among the celebrity guests attending this day's debut were George Lucas, CEO Michael Eisner, and actors Dan Akroyd & Carrie Fisher. The attraction was sponsored by AT&T (until 2002).
Already successful in Disney World with Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! (since 1989) Lucas teamed up with Disney again in the early 1990s to create a new "Indiana" attraction for the Anaheim resort. Groundbreaking for the new ride began in August 1993 with more than 400 Imagineers working on its design and construction. With Imagineer Tony Baxter in the lead, the project entailed rerouting the Jungle Cruise attraction, creating a 1/2-mile long queue area, and demolishing an area of the former "Eeyore" parking lot to build a 50,000 square foot structure to house Forbidden Eye.
The Forbidden Eye story (set in 1936) is told through 12 letters & telegrams scattered throughout the queue as well as newsreels shown to guests before boarding the attraction. Guests take their adventure aboard vehicles that resemble World War II transports (with 3 rows of seats) which run on a single track. The ride system was invented especially for Forbidden Eye. In addition to sound effects and dialogue, an orchestral soundtrack plays through speakers built in to the vehicles (containing a medley of John Williams' "Indiana" scores).
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